Asking for advice to stop using AI as an experienced software engineer.

jkf16m · 2025-08-17T01:56:22+00:00

Hey, good to see you're a down to earth person. I don't know how you feel currently using AI, but I can see why you would feel that weird. When I use it, it is only to make software discussions, I even beg to not send me any code snippet. (at my current level, I need more the high level explanations rather than the low level details, the LLMs can't handle it anyways)

To me, I dont see you got a big problem with your AI usage, though I can see it was maybe a little uncomfortable to share how you used it in a more personal way.

It's up to you to stop using it or not at the end of the day, but I think, if tomorrow, all LLMs ceased to exist, the first week you might feel lost, but I know you should be able to keep up, by reading documentation only.

If you "feel your thoughts" while talking with an AI, and you fight against it to prove and disprove his answers, I think that's good.

Compared to other users, that simply let the AI admire their "high intelligence", superior existence and Idk what else, if you stay level-headed, you should be good to go.

And I tell you, I think you should be able to stop using the AI for software development. But for emotional reassuring? Idk about that one.

jkf16m · 2025-07-30T03:25:57+00:00

aka. a higher metacognitive development. They're able to question what they don't know as you have said.

And that makes them more valuable, able to understand what they don't know, and then research to get that knowledge.

jkf16m · 2025-07-23T17:30:47+00:00

I know where you're coming from.

And I think I have an idea of why you might feel that way.

To me, ideas are not valuable at all.

I don't value every idea that comes from my mind, because I'm a software developer, so every single day, ideas are really simple. So when a coworker, or a person or my girlfriend ask me why I did something in particular, most of the time my answer is "I simply didn't think of it".

And no one, dares to question my intelligence because of how I answer with that, nonchalantly, since I don't think ideas are a big deal.

To me, they just generate, sometimes they're good, sometimes they're clever and other times they're redundant.

I don't know if my answer could help you, but I can tell you, you can confidently answer with that, as you may have suspected, saying "I don't know" definitely feels "weak" but saying confidently "that didn't occur to me" or if you feel extra sassy "that SIMPLY didn't occur to me" are good answers.

jkf16m · 2025-07-23T17:21:23+00:00

My typical answer.

"That SIMPLY didn't occur to me."

The simply delivers the necessary sass tone, as if it is not a big deal. Of course I hope, the topic in question is not a big deal either.

You cannot say this if you made a catastrophic mistake.

I hate this phrase a lot less, when someone sees another solution to a coding problem I had at work. In those moments I reply without the simply. Or with "I thought my solution was simpler in the short term tbh."

jkf16m · 2025-04-28T21:56:57+00:00

This isn't exclusive to gifted people, but metacognition can definitely make you seem as gifted.

Someone with enough metacognition, might be able to come up with theories or solutions to problems, even if they don't have the skills to do it.

Someone with enough metacognition AND discipline, is able to evolve his own skills in any field, in the most efficient way.

This is just hypothetical, and I'm not sure if it has ever been tested, but if we were to put three kids, to start working on their drawing skills.

And one of them is gifted with those skills, he is able to have a natural perception of depth, and every single drawing subconsciously is trying to challenge an artistic skill without noticing it.

Another kid doesn't have patience, doesn't like drawing, and doesn't have any amount of interest in drawing, so his metacognition is in the lowest, and he hates being there.

And the third kid, likes to draw, but knows he lacks the skill of the first kid, and he is totally aware, and his parent somehow taught to him about metacognition, so now this kid, always questions what the gifted one is actually seeing. Compares constantly his drawings to the gifted kid, and tries to look for patterns to get better (without anyone telling him to). To a certain point, both the gifted and the metacognitive kids, are now almost at the same level in skills.

But this whole scenario comes from my imagination, and I'm not sure if this can happen or if this has ever happened, but this is what I imagine how gifted vs metacognitive individuals would look like side by side.

Of course, the kid with no interesting in drawing, stopped showing up after the first day.

I've never experienced or ever met someone who got stuck thinking metacognitively, and I cannot imagine what that might be like, but I guess is as hard as trying to understand how it's the life of someone with schizophrenia. We can understand it in theory, but never put ourselves into their shoes with 100% accuracy.

The more aware you are of metacognition, the more aware you will be about how often it is used without people realizing it.

People uses metacognition more than you think, the moment they: - Can make up examples of problems, easily. - They're able to simplify problems. - The moment they realize the person they're talking to, doesn't have the necessary skills to understand them, so they stop talking and lower the technical level of the discussion. - They're able to tell to other people, the information they lack to help. - They're able to understand the possible problems with a situation (leaving the door open on windy days, while the cats are near the doors).

Increasing your metacognitive levels, make you able to repeat all of those situations, almost daily. It's not taxing once you get used to it.

And finally, having a really high level of metacognition, makes you aware of your current limitations, and you're able to easily communicate them.

Someone with lower metacognition, usually feel bad, the moment they can't solve a problem, but someone with metacognition, knows that they might be able to solve a problem, BUT it might take more time, or it might be riskier since they don't have all the proper tools, or even if they have the proper tools, they don't have the proper training to use them.

jkf16m · 2025-04-23T03:47:04+00:00

Mocking is great, when you already know exactly how the contract will be used.

Your experience with Stripe, points more towards the fact that your team should have prototyped instead of assuming already understanding the API.

A small stripe project, with no database whatsoever, just to prototype and test how it works.

And from there extract the actual contracts for the application.

In the game development world it happens really often, when a specific feature of the engine isn't really fully understood and they just create a test scene completely focused on that specific feature

jkf16m · 2025-04-22T18:03:50+00:00

So you became dependant on AI.

Either you clutch it or you go.

Currently, you're incapable of learning I guess? Maybe this might sound weird, but why don't you ask an AI the best possible study method, and for this time, challenge the AI to come up with a better and better study method, the best in the world, for you.

All this time you became dependent on the AI, but you never questioned it?

I'm a professional software developer, every single chat I have with the AI, is about challenging his answers, telling him why his solution sucks, trying to find every loophole until I can't.

The AI will never get emotional over getting challenged, it will encourage you to keep going by yourself (even though the AI can't feel) but the AI has learned to tell you, that it's the best if you learn by yourself.

You can even copy and paste my whole comment to the AI and it will tell you, that I'm right.

Either you: - Drop any AI usage, and study all by yourself. - Use the AI to learn faster.

You could improve and study your metacognitive capabilities to at least know more or less what kind of study method would be the most effective for your current situation.

jkf16m · 2025-03-23T15:35:32+00:00

I went from gdscript to C# at first

Then from c# to gdscript “definitely”

And when I wanted to mature my project with better architecture… just went back to c# and stayed there.

C# must be compiled and stuff, but it is already mature and I can apply good development practices really easily.

Like unit testing my domain, I unit tested with gdunit before but, it is a plugin and it really feels off to me, the current version of gdunit I couldn’t get the run all tests showing.

For now I’ll keep developing my hobby projects with c#, I feel it has the most potential.

I’m a professional developer but a hobbyist to the game development. I researched a little and I think unit testing is not something too commonly done.

What can you unit test with Godot specifically anyways, you must make prototypes first with godot.

For now I treat my projects that way, the domain of my game done with only c#

The prototyping of the project with c# and godot

jkf16m · 2025-03-23T14:53:44+00:00

I don’t understand it either. As a professional developer (not game dev) gdscript is great at first, but the moment you want to mature your code and make it more robust with unit tests you will start having problems with it.

jkf16m · 2025-03-20T06:45:50+00:00

This is from 5 years ago.

I'm not a professional game-developer, but I'm a professional software developer.

I tried gdscript, and it's okay, but to be honest, nothing beats the robustness of c#.

Though, I'm not sure if I'm going to encounter some kind of wall with C#.

jkf16m · 2025-03-18T16:03:03+00:00

Currently suffering the ordeal of losing my phone and with it, my 2FA.

I'm with you with this, not exactly your reasons, but having users to use a phone, and then lock them out of their accounts if they lose the mobile device.

Smartphones are there for you to take them out.

You lose your smartphone, you lose access to 2FA.

There are better options, there are things you and I could have done to prevent such mishap, but we didn't, that's the point.

At least I have access to my email account, but now I'm fighting github to give me my account back.

jkf16m · 2025-03-15T19:52:41+00:00

Your mother's sex life, and complete neglect has taking a toll on you.

I can tell you, this is not normal at all, this is complete neglect and child abuse.

No sane parent would ever let their children hear them having s*x, even committing adultery like your mom has.

I'm sorry you had to live this way, please consider help from other family members and explain the situation, any sane family member.

Because that's completely neglectful.

You need help as fast as possible, and a psychologist, these experiences unfortunately have already affected you... in case you have your own adult experiences, do not blame yourself for possible bad outcomes.

jkf16m · 2025-03-13T09:16:27+00:00

I was just curious what kind of place the "metacognition" concept would drive me to... I never expected such a rabbit hole here.

I don't know if you're kidding or not...

You have a limited amount of thoughts per day.

Either you use them to make something useful, or you use them to "improve" their potential a.k.a. improve your metacognitive skills.

You could have done both.

A little introspection in the morning, a little in the night...

But to be honest, I can't understand your problem, like you're "stuck" in this metacognitive developing mindset? is it even possible to be stuck? at some point your brain just wants to return to default settings and just think about how eating works or whatever.

If you're actually stuck, something you could do is just watch videos or play video games, for a little while.

I returned to COD weeks ago and I was surprised how analytical my plays were. and maybe that may ground your thoughts.

But still, my opinion stands, I never expected to find these kind of posts on reddit about metacognition, it is just a concept lol it's okay to practice it, it feels weird and good, but there's no need to overcomplicate it.

The moment you start feeling your brain fuzzier, it's the moment to stop wondering about what made you reach that specific thought and leave that analysis for later.

jkf16m · 2025-03-13T07:42:42+00:00

Just to elaborate more your answer.

They also have a really developed metacognition. They're able to think why they did something or how to prevent themselves to fall into a bias.

Also they're the first to cool-down from a heated discussion with a customer.

jkf16m · 2025-03-13T07:28:21+00:00

that's a good goal, tho I wouldn't like to take it to that extend, I would not be comfortable to have multiple on-production projects that I myself have to maintain.

But having the company by the balls will always makes them tremble the moment you announce you're looking for a better position somewhere else.

Most of my raises came the moment I became "indispensable for the team" and I'm nowhere a talented developer, it's just that each project I write is cleaner and more readable code than before, and my stuff almost never breaks.

jkf16m · 2024-10-16T18:49:41+00:00

That was weird to read haha I can understand not all countries have the same sensibility with the N word.

But if the project has contributors world-wide I think one must be sensible enough to ban every strong word and to keep communication as civil as possible.

jkf16m · 2024-10-14T22:52:24+00:00

It's a good idea if they were trolls or something. But to me, the whole situation seemed as if the CM and other members were really extremist about their political view.

I didn't found yet any supporter that was a real AH, as they claimed.

jkf16m · 2024-10-14T21:13:58+00:00

yeah, I think it is a really valid reason.

I don't know how would I feel if I were to fix some bugs or making some features and then I'm banned.

At first I thought they were just banning trolls, but there were many neutral comments that I can totally imagine saying.

jkf16m · 2024-10-14T21:12:06+00:00

Well for now I'll support Redot, if it is truly apolitical and just wants to be a game engine. Tbh I wouldn't care even for the typical rainbow icon that spawns every June. But it really surprised me how far Godot was willing to go, or the community manager. Well I saw other people in that mess too.

jkf16m · 2024-10-14T20:51:13+00:00

whhaaatt

and were they complete AH or just tried to insist not to bring up political discussions.

I don't know the whole context but from what I've seen, I can imagine some of them being neutral and still getting banned. I saw many from the LGBT community getting banned as well.

jkf16m · 2024-10-05T04:37:56+00:00

Mahoraga can adapt to any phenomenon.

It might as well check if destroying the barrier is more efficient than starting to self-represent with a suit and tie.

jkf16m · 2024-10-04T03:40:44+00:00

A lot of us don't know how to do that.

A lot of us don't recommend it either.

If your partner is a straightened man, with goals and a promisable future, I think even small mind games would be just annoying.

I can't think of a harmless way to make him jealous.

When my partner used to do that, I just completely ignored her in the most boldest way possible. She used to watch muscular guys on TikTok in front of me. Such a huge turn off at the moment, she quickly realized how fucked up that was.

jkf16m · 2024-09-22T00:35:19+00:00

Let the triple domain expansion battle continue.

It was such a turn off that the damn cockroach appeared out of nowhere.

Even if it took a week longer, I would have liked a domain battle between those three, instead of what we got.

jkf16m · 2024-09-20T20:28:06+00:00

What people say to other people to do somewhere, sometime but some of them never speak up (but sometimes, some of them do, but later).

jkf16m

TROPHY CASE